What happened after the Roman Empire ceased to be in 476?

29 June 2026

My favorite figure in the post-Roman period is Theoderic — ruling 493 to 526, twenty years after the “fall” of Rome. He took over the structure of the Roman Empire and ruled it as a functionally emperor-like figure. He was a Goth and an Arian Christian, or in other words, a barbarian and a heretic.

I never gave much thought to day-to-day life in Rome, previously the seat of the (western) Roman Empire, after the last emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed in 476 by Odoacer, a Germanic general. Odoacer became the ruler of Italy, but was killed by Theodoric the Great, in 493, who assumed the role of the king of Italy, until 526.

Despite the bloodshed surrounding these events, life went on as usual, for the most part, as far as inhabitants of Rome and Italy were concerned, during this period.

It seemed a little like a change in the governing party following an election, particularly in a parliamentary democracy. There were new senior government figures in place, but that was about it.

But back to Romulus Augustulus. He was only fourteen when he became emperor in 475, and reigned for about ten months. He was more of a figurehead though, having been placed in the role by his father, Orestes, a Roman general.

Orestes deposed Julius Nepos, who became emperor in 474. Nepos went into exile, but continued to regard himself as emperor until his death in 480.

On account of his age, Romulus Augustulus was exiled to Naples by Odoacer. It is believed he lived for at least another twenty years, but little is known of him after 506.

There’s a whole lot more to unpack here of course, but the story is far from a simple end to one state of affairs, and the beginning of another.

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history, Roman Empire

Is coincidence not coincidence but something else?

27 June 2026

George Musser, writing for Nautilus, ponders the nature of coincidence, particularly the more “out there” instances. Read about his repeated encounters with another backpacker, as he travelled — solo — in Africa some years ago.

I could probably write at length on this topic. For instance…

A few years ago, someone whom I will refer to as Mick, was residing in the apartment building where I stay when we are in Sydney.

We would often stop for a chat if we bumped into each other at the door of the building, or in the hallway. Mick had arrived in Australia a few months earlier, and was looking for both work, he’s a chef, and a larger apartment, as his wife and daughter were joining him later.

He eventually found a job and somewhere to live, and moved out. I saw him just before he left. He asked if I could message him, should any mail arrive for him, and left me his phone number.

We exchanged a few text messages in the months following, but after a time ceased communicating. About five years later, some mail arrived for him. The building manager, who assumed the role after Mick’s time, had left it on the console in the foyer.

It was from a car dealership. Mick had also mentioned before moving out, he was buying a car. I decided not to bother Mick with the news of this letter. I wrote “return to sender” on the envelope, and when I went out later that day, dropped it in the post box along the road.

I came home a few hours later, and decided to log into Facebook. It was something I only did every few days at that stage. It’s hardly ever now. On opening Facebook though I almost couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a friend request from Mick.

The request was only a few hours old, and he must’ve sent it at almost the same instant I was putting the letter that had arrived for him in the post box. I didn’t share that news with Mick, but was astonished, to say the least, at the timing of his friend request.

In my view, as intriguing as coincidence can be, coincidence is coincidence. It’s random, there’s no force of some sort in the universe lining up curious happenings to bemuse and baffle us. Things just happen. This of course doesn’t make any given coincidence, particularly the seemingly weirder ones, any less magic. Provided that is, they’re a pleasant sort of concurrence.

Incidentally, Mick had studied in Australia about twenty-years earlier, and on the flight here back then, had met the woman whom he later married. So I suppose there is that.

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mathematics, psychology, travel

A trailer for Klara and the Sun, a film by Taika Waititi, based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro

25 June 2026

The first trailer for the Taika Waititi directed adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 novel, Klara and the Sun has landed. I’m not one to complain about differences between the book and its movie counterpart — mainly because adapting a novel for the big screen is far from straightforward — but this two minute glimpse of the film version shows up some obvious differences with the book.

The tone of the film, at least the little we see of it in the trailer, is somewhat lighter (no pun intended) than that of the novel. Bordering on the comedic at times. It is not without dark moments though, which the novel is replete with.

Klara, portrayed by Jenna Ortega, as an AF (Artificial Friend), looks startlingly human in appearance. AF’s, being humanoid robots, were meant to look like people to a degree, but it was obvious they were not human. Ishiguro’s novel, for instance, created the impression AF’s were usually shorter than the teenage humans they accompanied.

Here, Klara looks as human as Josie (Mia Tharia), the fourteen-year-old girl she was bought to be friends with. A two-minute long trailer isn’t much to go on of course, but if Taika Waititi is directing, we’re going to get Taika Waitit. That includes lines such as “you’re not the droid we’re looking for”, delivered by Amy Adams, as Chris, Josie’s domineering mother.

Entirely Waititi’s idea that one, I’d say.

Nominations for Tiny Awards, for personal web projects, open now

22 June 2026

Nominations for the 2026 Tiny Awards, are being accpted until the end of the month, June.

Entry is open to websites of a non-commercial and/or personal nature, launched between July 2025 and July 2026. Submissions from brands and agencies are not accepted. The same goes for apps.

Given only relatively new websites are eligible, I’m thinking recent events across the world will form the focus or subject matter of a number of nominations.

Above average Antarctic winter temperatures concern scientists

22 June 2026

Winter temperatures have been well above average, in recent times, on what is supposed to be the world’s coldest landmass.

The unusually high temperatures being experienced in parts of Antarctica seems like it accounts for the so-far mild start to winter in our part of Australia. Here we are two-thirds the way through June, the first month of winter, and I think I’ve needed to wear a jacket maybe two times when going out. Still very much tee-shirt weather at the moment.

Slightly cooler, and wetter weather, however, is forecast — at least locally — for coming days.

Good Internet magazine pauses publishing

18 June 2026

Good Internet only started publishing, both online and in print, about a year ago.

News that the founders have decided to cease publication indefinitely is sad for for the IndieWeb/SmallWeb community, whom the magazine supported.

Running an online magazine is a major undertaking on its own. A print version is another matter all together. An independent publisher I know in Australia, did something similar several years ago.

Whenever I asked how it was going, their first response was to say they were making no money, only breaking even, and that the venture was entirely a labour of love. It sure isn’t easy.

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IndieWeb, self publishing, SmallWeb

George Miller wants to bring Mad Max stories to an end, a slow end

18 June 2026

The Australian film director thinks it’s time to bring the story to an end. But a movie, and a separate TV series in addition, sounds like at least another several years worth of work.

The first Mad Max film was made in 1979, and another four have followed, albeit with decades long gaps in between. Assuming the sixth movie, and TV show eventuate, the franchise will have been running for the best part of fifty years.

It’s probably been said before, but I could see Mad Max going the way of stories such as Star Trek and Star Wars, in other words indefinitely. After all, Miller seems interested in selling the franchise at some point. I think this might only be the beginning.

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Vale David Hockney, British artist, photographer

15 June 2026

Hockney died aged 88 last week. The work of the British artist and painter, purveyor of bold colours, was required learning in my final year high school art history course.

Backrooms: McDonald’s versus Kane Parsons

15 June 2026

You don’t see too many mentions of global hamburger behemoth McDonald’s here, but their take on Kane Parsons’ 2026 horror/thriller film Backrooms, is simply finger licking good.

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Teaser for The Social Reckoning, a film by Aaron Sorkin, follow-up to The Social Network

12 June 2026

Although hints of what was to come were there to see, The Social Network, the 2010 dramatisation of the founding of Facebook, had the hallmarks of a feel-good story.

At least from the perspective of would-be entrepreneurs, whose next-big-thing idea, had, against the odds (of course), become the next-big-thing.

A lot has happened in sixteen years though, and there’s not much left in the Facebook story for many people to feel good about today.

Aaron Sorkin, who co-wrote the screenplay for the David Fincher directed 2010 feature, has tapped into the darkness pervading the world’s largest social network, to write and direct a follow-up to the 2010 film, titled The Social Reckoning.

Sorkin initially floated the idea of a sequel in 2024. At that point the American playwright and screenwriter sought to cast a critical light on the part he felt Facebook played in the January 6 insurrection of 2021, in the United States.

But Sorkin’s focus has changed. In The Social Reckoning the negative impact on users mental health is among subject matter explored. As is co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s seeming dictatorial style of management.

Darkness permeates the teaser/trailer. Gloom is banished, but only momentarily, by the glare of bright spotlights shining in our faces. There are no frat-house parties, or swimming pool high-jinks, in this chapter of the social network’s story. This is a bleak world indeed we now find ourselves in.

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